ADHD - Elementary School

I have heard good things about DORE as well as Sensory Learning in Danvers.
I would highly recommend a dietary change - I think there's even a book called the ADHD diet - I have seen huge changes in kids who get off processed food, no artificial colors or flaors or preservatives.
M.

Hi A.
I would like to hear the replies as well hope you will post it or if not forwarded to me
Tank you

Hi -
I dont have a child with ADHD, but my coworker does and she is definately trying to go the natural route. Currently her son is on the medication while he is doing the programs, but she is hoping that eventually they will be able to get him off of the medications.

Her son is doing the following:

Active Healing, which is an exercise program similar to the Dore Program (www.activehealing.org)
Pediatric Chiropractor (which he was a bedwetter at 8, and after the first week of Chiropractor, he has not had 1 accident in over 3 months)
GFCF Free Diet - Gluten Free/Casein(dairy)Free
a list of supplements

Doing just one helped a little bit, but doing everything has helped a lot. He was getting sent to the principals office, but since he has done everything he has had 3 weeks straight of green cards (meaning he hasnt even been going to the yellow - Red is going to the principal)

I'm my coworkers sound board and that is why I know a lot about this. I feel that the programs are very difficult and time consuming, but the exercise program is usually only 18-24 months... and if you can get through that...then you will have a much happier child.

If you would like some more information, please let me know... you can email me at ____@____.com

good luck A.... you are doing the right thing for your child!!

L.

I know a very experienced Naturopath in Weston, MA who treats lots of kids with ADHD and gets them off their meds and onto natural management. He does lectures and has done teaching and might be able to advise you on how to talk to the school. You can look him up at www.drbarrytaylor.com or contact him at ____@____.com

Good Luck,
E.

Hi there,
Happy Mother's Day!
First off, schools are very much tuned into AD/HD. It's quite common these days and most teachers have strategies to help a child w/ this disability manage. (I'm a teacher, btw). As someone else has said, he should either get a 504 plan, or, better yet, get qualified for spec. ed. services under Other Health Impairment so that an Individual Education Plan (IEP) can be drawn up. That doesn't mean that he'll necessarily always be pulled out to work int the resource room, but he will have specific accommodations designed for him. It also helps the regular ed. teacher b/c he/she will (hopefully) get support from your son's case manager.
As far as the diet, it certainly can't hurt. I know I always wonder what I'm feeding my son with so many processed foods w/ preservative and additives. The less we all eat of that stuff, the better, I guess. What I always tell moms who ask me about ADHD in the classroom is that they need to learn about the severity of the behavior. There are some kids who absolutely CANNOT function w/o medication. If the teachers tell you that he cannot function w/o them, I would believe them. I've seen a couple of cases like that myself, and I truly feel bad for the child. Other cases are not so bad and can be aided with behavior modification plans. An open dialogue with the teachers and and principal will be the best remedy!
Good luck!

The best advice I can give if to speak to your child's pediatrician. Some natural remedies can not be mixed with other medications, I learned the hard way. I would start there and also do some research on the web.

Good luck.

Hi A.,

You may want to check out the Davis Attention Mastery Program for ADD/ADHD that is a non-med program that helps kids with self-monitoring focus, stress, and energy levels. It is based on the book, The Gift of Learning, by Ronald D. Davis. Reading the book alone can often give parents a much better understanding of what is going on.

I use natural supplements that help with ADHD and do wonders for overall heath as well. Its all anti-oxidants, but you can add in omega 3s too. I can tell you more about where I get them if you are interested, just message me. ~C.

A.,
Hi, my name is S., and I would like to recommend an all natural product that my family has been using. My boyfriend's 7 year old son was said to have ADD/ADHD. We started him on a product that we have been taking for different reasons. It is a health beverage, and we give it to him twice a day. 1 ounce in the morning and 1 once at night, and sometimes a little more if he seems to be having a worse day. We have honestly seen a difference in him and the way he acts at school. I would not recommend something that I did not believe in! If you are interested I can get you some more information. Let me know.
Good luck,
S.

Happy Mothers Day,
I am a Dental Hygienist,and one of my patient's sons has ADHD and she did the ADD diet. You can google the info and a bunch of info comes up. He is 7 now and he just became student of the month!! The diet definately worked with him.

I remember her telling me the first few monthes of grocery shopping was tough, because you are reading everything. Her son is still not on any meds it has been 3 years.

Have a great day
Becci

Hi, A.,

My 10 year old has ADHD (she was diagnosed two years ago). I don't know about natural meds, but there is a wonderful person, Kirk Martin, Celebrate Calm, who has been very helpful in understanding how my child's mind works and giving practical, hands-on things to try with your child. His suggestions have been extremely helpful for my family. His website is www.CelebrateCalm.com and he has a free newsletter. My daughter is on an IEP and has sensory integration therapy once a week, which works wonders.

We have been working with the school team on her IEP with much success. If you work collaboratively with the teacher, you can get what your child needs on the IEP. Make sure everyone agrees though. Ask them outright if they agree, be your child's advocate and don't let them tell you what needs to be done. You should drive what your child needs, not the school.

Good luck,
S.

One of the moms on my team just suggested this to another mom.... I would have your child on the Vita Bears, Provex Plus (this helps widen the blood vessels to the brain and help increase concentration levels), Luminex for mood swings (you can cut the capsules and put into applesauce if they can’t swallow), RestEeze to make sure they are getting good sleep at night, and mela gel (when their behavior starts to act up, put melagel under their nose and it helps them calm down). Also, make sure they are avoiding fried foods.

We always go for the natural approach. Hope this helps!

We have tried all natural avenues. There is some merit to altering your childs diet. Going 100% dye and additives free. There are some behavioral therapy methods that help you child understand how his brain works. The best advice I have is not to only try eating clean and drinking dye free drinks but accepting his condition and considering medication. Once a person that we highly respect (who also has ADHD) told us it was like trying to listen to a story while a crowd of people stand close by and shout things. It is like that for children trying to pay attention all day at school. They are emotionally and physically fried by the end of the day. I chose medication after years of watching him struggle. For a very long time I chose not to accept this condition. There is so much data on how to parent children with ADHD. It is a hard but rewarding job when you find a path that allows your child to live happily. The teachers can only be made aware of his condition. It is up to you to help him/her coexist with the other children. Good luck.

I have worked with child psychiatrist who uses nutra-suticals to treat adhd. I have used them with my child who has the the learning disability as well.. These are all natural supplements . There is a certain regiment that needs to be followed. I would love to chat with you about them.. Please feel free to contact me..

H. ###-###-####

A. - first off it's different with every child. I am going through this as well, but as of right now it's not really effecting my son's academics as he's only in Kindergarten and is advanced a little bit so he didn't really have to worry about learning EVERYTHING. I can see it becoming a problem later on though. What you need to do though is get your son a 504 plan or get him qualified for special ed services through Other Health Impairment (OHI). I have done lots of research on this and have found lots of stuff that I would not have known. If your son has had any outbursts in school causing him to get in trouble, ask for a functional behavior analysis. Through this the person who did the FBA we were able to get an OT eval based on all the sensory seeking behavior she saw and then a social work assessment based on his lack of social skills. As a result he now goes to OT 2x a week and sees the school social worker 2x a week. And when he gets overwhelmed he gets to go to the special ed room to finish his work. And just so you know - the special ed room is not the same as it was for us when we were little. There is not so much of a stigma attached to it. It is there to help the children and that is what it does.

Onto the first part of your question - I have yet to be able to find any natural remedies. I have found a package at Shaws in their natural section that is supposed to work to calm children but it's just chamomile. I would say if you can afford it (which I can't) it's worth a try. The package comes with three bottles of liquid, one for daytime, one for tummy problems and one for bedtime. it's $25 so not too much but we are too broke for even that. I have also read of lots of success with Omega-threes. Coromega makes a good one, yet my son still refuses to take it. Lots of kids like it though. Also just yesterday I was told to try vitamin b complex that is in liquid form and the child takes in under the tongue. It supposedly works - a ten year old told me she really feels like she can concentrate better when she is taking it. I have not researched this yet. If you want to keep in touch and share ideas feel free to email me!

When my son was diagnoised with ADD, there was not H, it was 1985. There were not many drugs available and the thought of medicated him was difficult. We opted to see a nutritionist and she helped us choose foods that seem to affect the symptoms of ADHD. (low sugar)
When working with principals and teachers you have to be the lead in any choices made with your child, you are in charge. I read alot, and found the more infomred I was the better I was able to help my child. If you feel somthing is not working speak out right away. You are the best advocate your child can have.

check into the feingold.org website. That helped my oldest settle down quite a bit. Also getting the gluten, dairy, and soy out of his diet did wonders. He is actually WANTING to learn now.

A., Not sure what you are asking. Are you looking for a Nutritional Supplement that helps with ADHD?

My middle son who is now 18 was dx'd adhd at age 3 1/2. When he was that young i looked around for natural meds and the only thing available was coffee/which was too much for a 3yr old. I cAN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS NATURAL MED, BUT I WOULD BE VERY CAREFULL WITH IT. Med's for ADHD have come a long way in the last 15yrs what has been reccomended for your son.
The principal and the school system.......before i can advise you i need to know what exactly is going on in school/so if you email me, i will gladly get back to you.
One thing that is important though a assessment letter from the doctor that dx'd your son with reccomendations to the school for the specialized programs at school that your child needs. Like my son needs OT and the resource room to help with organizational needs and a homework checksheet everyday all these things are either put on a IEP or a 504 plan. A lot of school systems do not reconize the dx and it can be a real fight. If you have your report then you need to have a meeting with the principal with your educational concerns and have a placement put in place for your son
good luck to you
L.
ps i hope you have a nice day today

I need to start my son on Omega 3, 6 &9. Which is to help. I also was told at one point to give my son Melatonin to help him get a good night sleep. When my son was goin got school next to home we allowed him to ride his bike to school and it helped immensely! We also had him in Karate which helped him with getting hisenergy out in a good way and did wonders for his behavior. He will be going back. The one mistake I made was to cave in to the school last year and put him on medication and now that I can't afford it anymore, some are blaming everything he does on not being on meds. As well as been convinced he can't function right without it. So if you don't want him on meds-DON'T give in.

I have quite a few friends whose children got great results with Reliv's nutritional product for kids. It has DHA which is brain food - helps with focus and attention. A number of people said that the school called to say "Who is this new kid you sent us? He looks like the old kid, but he doesn't act the same." And his grades improved too.

It's also a fantastic nutritional supplement all around - kids get their immune systems strengthened and just don't get sick much, if at all. It's a win-win situation!

If you'd like to talk to a few success stories, let me know!

A.: I would recommend your pediatrician for alternative method practitioners first. I think it is great to avoid medication if possible. Many of the natural remedies are not moitored, FYI. Also stratera is a non stimulant that you can learn about. And I would not stress about the school principal and teachers, their agenda is to have as few problem children as possible. From my recent experience, I had them calling me about great stories of kids, family, friends on meds....